Ministry sets tab for conserving relics at 526 mln USD over five years

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recommended to the
Government to earmark 11 trillion VND (526 million USD) for conserving
relics in the next five years to catch up with the backlog under a
national culture programme.

In the previous five years,
under the National Target Programme on Culture, 4.54 trillion VND was
allotted for protecting 130 relics and doing minor restoration works on
810 others but managed to only achieve 65 percent and 80 percent of the
target, respectively.

The programme also funded the task
of identifying and preserving 455 intangible heritage, compiling
dossiers on intangible cultural masterpieces for UNESCO recognition, and
preserving five traditional villages.

The ministry is likely to get 15.4 trillion VND for the programme for the next five years.

The most important tasks in the period will be to complete the
restoration and preservation of national relics including the former
royal capital Hue, the old town of Hoi An, the Cham Sanctuary in My Son,
the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho, and the ancient capital of Hoa Lu.

Some national-level historical and architectural landmarks and famous
landscapes that facing deterioration will also be restored.

Monuments put up for revolutionary bases like ATK Viet Bac and others,
the HCM Trail, and colonial-era prisons will get a face lift.

The ministry hopes to restore 50–60 relics each year and protect 100-150 others.

All this is expected to cost of 11 trillion VND, with 6.5 trillion VND
coming from the Government's coffers, 2.5 trillion VND from local funds,
and 2 trillion VND from other sources.

The ministry also
proposes to earmark 400 billion VND (19 million USD) for collecting,
preserving, and highlighting intangible heritage of Vietnam 's 54
different ethnic groups.

This will involve popularising
heritage already identified, completing the intangible heritage map, and
compiling dossiers on three relics for UNESCO approval.

Around 800 billion VND is expected to be earmarked for developing
traditional arts by building or upgrading performance venues, training
artists, and compiling a school curriculum for traditional arts. /.